Boil Season

Boil Season: the ten books, in reading order

Ten books, one block, one humid season. Each stands alone; read them in any order you like, though the wall is papered in this one.

Your season

Nothing finished yet. The water’s still cold. No. 01 is on the wall whenever you are.

Openings tasted: 0 of 10

Your stamps are kept by JavaScript in this browser, which is off right now. The books are all here either way.

No. 01

Welcome to the Boil

One corkboard. Two feuding grandmothers. Ninety percent humidity. Say something nice.
Book One of Ten · Spotlight: Ricky Rigatoni, 21

Read the opening About 11 minutes, or one delayed train.
No. 02

Saucegate

Somebody touched her sauce. Sixty years of grudge just got a timeline.
Book Two of Ten · Spotlight: Nonna Rigatoni, 79

Read the opening About 10 minutes, or one delayed train.
No. 03

The Clout Pot

He can't protect anyone. The block is subscribing anyway.
Book Three of Ten · Spotlight: Louie Lasagna, 24

Read the opening About 11 minutes, or one delayed train.
No. 04

Uncooked and Unbothered

He has only ever been good at lifting. Today he's great at standing still.
Book Four of Ten · Spotlight: Tony Tortellini, 21

Read the opening About 11 minutes, or one delayed train.
No. 05

The Pasta Purity Filter

A phone filter grades the whole block. Lao Lao LoMein takes it personally.
Book Five of Ten · Spotlight: Lao Lao LoMein, 79

Read the opening About 10 minutes, or one delayed train.
No. 06

Alley Auditions

The worst job on the block has a line around the block.
Book Six of Ten · Spotlight: Mikey Macaroni, 19

Read the opening About 11 minutes, or one delayed train.
No. 07

Doors Are Closing

Everyone who rides the late train comes home fine. Nobody comes home the same.
Book Seven of Ten · Spotlight: Frankie Fettuccini, 23

Read the opening About 11 minutes, or one delayed train.
No. 08

Kindness War

The block finally says something nice. Every word of it is a weapon.
Book Eight of Ten · Spotlight: Whole Wheat Willie, 22

Read the opening About 10 minutes, or one delayed train.
No. 09

Heat Wave

Three days of heat. Two relief stations that won't share. One woman running everything.
Book Nine of Ten · Spotlight: Lilly LoMein, 22

Read the opening About 9 minutes, or one delayed train.
No. 10

The Boil Over

The city has been asked, very politely, to leave.
Book Ten of Ten · Spotlight: Ricky Rigatoni, 21, and Lilly LoMein, 22

Read the opening About 9 minutes, or one delayed train.

How stamps work

Read a book. The whole thing, to the last page.
Press its stamp: I’ve finished Book One. It is saved in this browser and nowhere else.
The wall changes for you: stamps on the posters, new paper in the notices, lids that open.
Changed your mind? Press it again. Everything that book opened seals itself back up.